2 MARCH 1861, Page 8

POSTSCRIPT.

Bom Houses of Parliament sat last night.

In the House of Lords, the Marquis of NORMANDY moved for copies of any despatches relative to the recognition of the blockade

of Gaeta; the number of persons qualified to vote, and who actually

did vote, at the last elections in Italy, and the partial re-elections in September last ; to the struggles IR the Abruzzi; to the arbitrary

abolition of the administrative autonomy of Tuscany ; to the proceed- ings which preceded the plebiscite by winch the separate existence of Naples was extinguished, and generally as to the proceedings of Gari- baldi, and the part taken by our fleet after his landing and during the

invasion of the country by Victor Emmanuel. The speech which ac- companied the motion was a lengthened and severe attack upon the conduct of Victor Emmanuel and the Italian policy of Count Ca- your and Lord John Russell. The people of this country had been deceived by the high-sounding words of "Italian nationality" and "Constitutional Government" whereas the fact was that Sardinia had violated the principle of Italian nationality by her recent annexa- tions. Her victories in Naples were the result of bribery and corrup- tion on a large scale. Gold, and not gallantry, brought about the downfal of Francis IL, because four or five days before Garibaldi entered Naples 25,000,000 fr. were borrowed at 8 per cent., with 2 per cent, bonus,. and employed to convert the functionaries entrusted with the Adminlstration into traitors to their sovereign. Among other charges made by the Marquis against Victor Emmanuel were : his con- fiscation of the private property of the royal family of Naples, one of them, the queen-dowager, being a Sardinian princess ; the pensioning of two female relatives of the regicide Agesiloa Melano ; and even the rewarding of Signor Gallenga, now resident in Turin, who in 1833 was employed to assassinate Charles Albert, the King's own father! The Marquis further assured the House that the Sardinian King is very unpopular in other parts of Italy, and that he has accepted the crown under an engagement to Mazzuu to give it up again as soon as possible! Lord WODEHOUSE said, as no charge had been made against the

lish Government, he might have left the speech unanswered. ' It been simply a long attack upon Victor Emmanuel and his policy. He did not advocate all the acts of that sovereign, whether public or private. The policy of the British Government from first to last had been to let the Italians settle their own affairs. As to the papers asked for, some were not in existence, others the Government had no power to order, but in a few cases he had no objection to produce them.

The Earl of MALDIESBURY complained that the most important papers on Italian affairs had hitherto been kept back, and he concurred in censuring the grasping policy of Sardinia, which, from the begin- =4, had aimed at annexing the whole of the peninsula.

Lord Lte.Novna gave the result of his own recent experience in Italy as being totally opposed to the assertions made by Lord Nor- manby, who accepted the papers offered him by the Government in lieu of those enumerated in his motion.

In the House of Commons the "notice paper" contained the usual list of multifarious questions to be put on the motion for adjournment instil Monday, and it was not until late in the evening they were dis- posed of. Most of them, however, had reference to local or minor questions of no public interest. The CHANCELLOR or THE EXCHEQUER, with reference to a notice which has been issued calling for the "im- mediate payment" of assessed property and income taxes due at Christmas last, and suggesting the discharge of taxes due on the 20th of the present month, explained that the application for the Christmas taxes was in accordance with the act of last session. That for payment in advance was the act of the local authorities, and he would take care it should not occur again. In answer to Mr. DISRAELI, Lord Jona/ RUSSELL declined to pro- duce any further papers relative to the French occupation of Syria while negotiations were going on. Before Easter he hoped to lay on the table the papers connected with these negotiations. Lord Cowley had received instructions to take no action upon the note of the Russian ambassador.

Admiral Duarcomsz moved the appointment of a Select Committee to inquire into the constitution of the Board of Admiralty, its duties, and the general effect of the system upon the navy.

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